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Political Words: Translated Tales
Of Bosses, Extremists and Newt

Updated July 3, 1996 12:01 a.m. ET

LIKE ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS , political campaigns rise up, flourish and then disintegrate into the sand, their remains to be picked over by historians and anthropologists. And like those ancient civilizations, each campaign develops its own particular language that says much about the passions and problems of the time.

This campaign language isn't merely interesting or amusing. It's hugely important. In Washington, the rule of thumb is that whoever controls the terms of a debate generally wins the debate. Thus, Democrats...